How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
One of our members sent us an e-mail about this item on Sarah Palin's Facebook page. (Dear member: Would you like to be identified as the tipster? I'm not sure, so I'll err on the side of caution and keep your name out of it.)
Yesterday, Lisa Murkowski’s hired guns threatened radio host Dan Fagan, and more importantly, the station that airs Fagan’s show, with legal action for allegedly illegal “electioneering.” The station, unlike Murkowski, who is flush with millions of dollars from vested corporate interests, does not have a budget for a legal defense. So it did what any small market station would do when threatened by Beltway lawyers charging $500 to $1000 an hour – they pulled Dan Fagan off the air.
Does all this sound heavy handed? It is. It is an interference with Dan Fagan’s constitutional right to free speech. It is also a shocking indictment against Lisa Murkowski. How low will she go to hold onto power?
Truth be told, I haven't followed this story at all, and I don't have any idea what happened. Should I be worried enough to spend a few hours informing myself? If someone here is up-to-speed on this, give me your verdict. Remember there's an opportunity cost: If I don't learn more about this, I'll learn more about Yemen (once I'm done refreshing myself with Manny Pacquiao highlight clips). I'm figuring Yemen is probably my priority, but if I'm wrong, I'm happy to be corrected.
Don't forget that I also need to do my laundry, and I'm seven hours ahead of EST--so I don't have many hours left today for informed punditry. I can't do this as someone who knows what she's talking about unless it's an absolute punditry priority. Mind you, I could probably take a decent shot at it blind.
- Comment (21)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments :
Oct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Claire, I don't know if this comment violates Ricochet's Rules of Engagement (or whatever they're called), the Rule against off-point comments, so I'll risk it:
Your question "Should I...spend a few hours..." highlights a problem that I face, and that maybe a lot of others who are not in your line of work face. To wit: we don't have hours to seek the important and relevant news of the day. (Not that your hours are wasted; instead, this is what you do; it's not what we do for a living.)
So would you and your Ricochet brethren find it worthy to share your personal, say five, most important web news outlets? You won't all agree on the five, of course, but your lists will give us a great foundation for setting up our own "favorites" browser tabs.
Not sure I made my point eloquently or succinctly, but I hope the idea came through. Thanks.
Oct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Jeez Louise, no sooner had I hit "Post Comment" than I casually scrolled down and saw Ricochet's "Sites We Like" bar. I take it that pretty much is what I was describing. Feel free to delete both my comments, if that can be done.
Sep '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
when i saw this post, my first guess as to why someone would send you this story was your earlier post about being troubled by Joe Miller's "militia associations" or some such. it took me a couple searches on here to confirm that such a post did exist: http://ricochet.com/conversations/Joe-Miller-s-Alaskan-Militia-How-Bad-Does-this-Look-to-Normal-People
so, i'd say that you do have some responsibility (perhaps, small...that's up to your judgement) to bear the opportunity cost of being yet better informed on this race having once entered into it.
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
CitizenOfTheRepublic: when i saw this post, my first guess as to why someone would send you this story was your earlier post about being troubled by Joe Miller's "militia associations" or some such. it took me a couple searches on here to confirm that such a post did exist: http://ricochet.com/conversations/Joe-Miller-s-Alaskan-Militia-How-Bad-Does-this-Look-to-Normal-People
so, i'd say that you do have some responsibility (perhaps, small...that's up to your judgement) to bear the opportunity cost of being yet better informed on this race having once entered into it. · Oct 30 at 7:09am
I was afraid you'd say that, Citizen. I was kind of thinking that myself.
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Actually, your comments are very pertinent, since my indirect lament was similar to yours. Even someone in the news-and-opinion business doesn't have anything like the time deeply to look into every headline that passes over the transom. And my first thought on seeing this item really was, "Claire, if you're going to have an opinion about this that's worth anything, you're going to have to spend a lot of time reading about this." I truly don't know if what happened merits the investment. I'm not being glib. There really is an opportunity cost.
The best news aggregators, for me, are my Facebook and Twitter feeds. Most of my friends there are not so much friends (I've never met most of them) as people who reliably post items about issues I find important. If something like this starts showing up over and over on those lists, I know it's time to look deeper. But this isn't the way most people use Facebook and Twitter, I know.
Oct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Claire, please do go for Yemen. I for one would appreciate your perspective.
Oct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Morris Communications, a privately held company, and owner of KFQD 750, the station that aired Fagen, recently through their newspapers in Texas, the Lubbock Avalanche Journal and the Amarillo Globe-News endorsed Democrat challenger, Bill White over incumbent governor Rick Perry. Pure coincidence, I'm sure.
Jul '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Any time a politician forces someone off the air, you, and every one of us should be Bloody Well Worried.
Regardless of how big the audience is.
Regardless of what the grievence.
Someone holding a position of power shutting up any oposition is UnAmerican, a violation of First Ammendment Rights and Bodes Ill for the future of this country. PERIOD!
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Jaydee, to your knowledge is that the proper description of what happened? That's my question. Do we know what Murkowski’s lawyers actually said to that station?
By the way, I do take this issue very seriously--I've had small, poorly-financed news sites in Britain pull down articles I've written because British libel laws allow companies with big pockets to bully anyone who publishes something unflattering about them. I know that important reporting, stuff that's in the public interest, gets stifled that way all the time. I've experienced it.
But before flying off the handle, I want to understand the details of this.
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Okay, after a bit more research, my tentative thoughts: This article suggests Fagan accused Murkowski of illegal electioneering (entirely his right to do so); and a Murkowski campaign representative called the station to complain that no, he was engaged in illegal electioneering (entirely his or her right to do so). Fagan's show was cancelled that afternoon, but has not been cancelled, generally. I'm not seeing independent verification that a credible legal threat came from the Murkowski campaign--is anyone else?
Oct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Thanks for the information so far. I know my dad always said, "There is more to a story than the end of your nose." So, I am glad to be hearing the conversation about this to be informed to more that is happening. It concerns me. And I agree with Claire, there might be more to the story than we already know. I am wanting the discussion, myself, to be informed. Thanks
Thanks for posting it.
Oct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
opps forgot to add as a ps.
Please keep focusing on where your heart is: Yemen. Dont mean to pull you away from that.
Oct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Reading Palin's entire FB post I'm struck less by the charge of a threat of legal action, which in and of itself is not an unusual threat in America and which doesn't seem to me to be the overriding point of her FB post, and I'm struck more by the argument Palin makes about the kind of politician Murkowski is and will continue to be irrespective of the legal threat allegation. Her 2nd-4th paragraphs present a broader argument against Murkowski.
So although the email edited piece that was originally sent to you focused on the alleged legal threat and thus drove the initial direction of this thread, I think Palin's entire FB post is far more comprehensive than that and it's her other points that indict Murkowski (pun intended, in my best BHO impression...actually, it was unintended, just fortuitous).
Jul '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Point 1) Lisa Murkowski is a Sitting Senator at this time.
Point 2) Courts have always held that in a Contract of Adhesion any ambiguity be resolved against those who wrote the contract.
Essentially the Constitution of the United States is the Ultimate Contract of Adhesion for the American People. As a sitting senator, Lisa Murkowski is a member of those who wrote the contract.
When she complained to the station regarding Mr. Fagan's remarks, it matters NOT weather she threatened leagal action or not. The simple fact that the station responded by silencing him in response to a Sitting Senator's complaint without further ado should be chilling and offensive to any American!
The fact that she (Murkowski) even considered complaining directly to the station as an avenue, rather than making a speech regarding her disagreement, or used another method to publicly air the issue, is also quite telling as to her attitude of governance, or should I say Rulership.
The greatest weapon tyrants have is those who cooperate with them.
Edited on Oct 30, 2010 at 9:56amOct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
I also find it amusing and petty that at least two Murkowski supporters thought that Fagan was "reward(ing) listeners" and offering "prizes" such as...a coffee mug. Or a trip to Hawaii. With nothing in between. (Does anyone, anywhere really and truly consider a coffee mug to be a prize??)
More evidence that Liberals have no sense of humor.
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Corroborating my "Twitter is the ultimate news aggregator" theory, I received a very helpful e-mail from a contact on Twitter. It contained many useful references I wouldn't have found on my own. I'll post about this--in an informed way--tomorrow.
May '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
Yeah, Claire, if you can rouse yourself from your uber-sophisticated ennui, you might interest yourself in a story of a sitting (hopefully not for long) US Senator just waving her totalitarian wand and banishing a radio host that displeased her. If you had to ask, we already know you don't think the story is important.
Oct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
As an Alaskan resident, I can tell you that Murkowski's campaign is one of sheer desperation. She lost the primary, tried to run Libertarian (to which my fellow AK LPers said, "Yeah, right" and showed her the door), and so has dumped a lot of money in a last-ditch write-in campaign.
Which has met with mockery. The write-in list was a handful. Now it's over 150. And it includes Joe Miller (who beat her in the primary).
Whereas Joe Miller's signs are placed on some good real estate throughout the Fairbanks/North Star Borough, Murkowski's are fewer, and generally placed in front of abandoned buildings or empty parking lots.
Most of her campaign has been attack-oriented, from her ads to the debates she has held with the other Senate candidates. That's a sure sign of desperation.
So, take that and judge the Fagan affair accordingly.
Oct '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
I need to get me some good Twitter contacts (spoken in my best haughty French accent)! (thanks for the earlier advice, Claire)
May '10
Re: How Worried Should I Be About Lisa Murkowski Bullying Dan Fagan?
As I've said before, the women editors at Ricochet really don't like Palin or O'Donnell. Interesting to see that other members are keeping them abreast of each of their utterances so they can be analyzed, fact-checked and ultimately judged. After all, it's only fair, they do that with all the male conservatives too...oh wait.